1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric oven, and more particularly, to an electric oven having a convection cover formed with a sub-outlet, in which heated air exhausted from the sub-outlet of the convection cover to a cooking chamber of the electric oven uniformly circulates throughout the cooking chamber to evenly transfer heat to food irrespective of its position in the cooking chamber to obtain a favorable cooking result.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, electric ovens are used for cooking food placed in the cooking chamber using heat generated by a ceramic heater, a sheath heater, a halogen heater or a high-frequency generating device. The food in the cooking chamber can be cooked relatively fast because inner and outer portions of the food can be simultaneously cooked. Electric ovens are also safe to use and have high thermal efficiency. Thus, the use of electric ovens is on the rise.
FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a conventional electric oven which includes a six-sided body 10 enclosing a cooking chamber 20. The body 10 includes side plates 30 which form the side exterior portion of the body 10. At least one of the side plates 30 is provided with a plurality of air inlets 32 for drawing in external air to cool the body 10 and the various internal components. The body 10 also includes a rear plate 40 which forms the rear exterior portion of body 10. The front side of body 10 includes a door 50 for selectively opening and closing the cooking chamber 20. The door 50 has a rectangular shape and is hinge connected so that the door pivots about a front-lower end portion of the body 10, as illustrated, to open and close the cooking chamber 20. A handle 52 is provided on an upper portion of the door 50 to allow a user to easily operate the door 50 when opening and closing the cooking chamber 20.
The conventional electronic oven further includes a control panel 60 on a front-upper portion of the body 10. The control panel 60 includes operating knobs 62 for operating the electric oven 1 and a display 64 for displaying the operating states of the electric oven 1. A device compartment 70 is provided on a rear side of the control panel 60, above the cooking chamber 20. The device compartment 70 houses electronic components such as a magnetron, a high-voltage transformer, and a fan assembly necessary for operating the electric oven 1.
FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a convection cover 80 provided in the cooking chamber of a conventional electric oven, for example, the conventional electric oven illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 illustrates a plane view of the convection cover 80, as seen from the top. The corresponding air circulation in the cooking chamber of the conventional electric oven shown in FIG. 2 is also shown. FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of another convection cover provided in a cooking chamber of a conventional electric oven. FIG. 5 illustrates a plane view, as seen from the top. The corresponding air circulation in the cooking chamber of the electric oven shown in FIG. 4 is also illustrated.
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, a convection cover 80 is provided on an inner rear side of the body 10, that is, on a rear side of the cooking chamber 20. A convection heater 94 and a convection fan 98 are both covered by the convection cover 80.
The convection heater 94 generates heat, when power is applied, to heat the air in the oven. The convection fan 98 draws air through the convection cover in the direction of the convection heater 94, then directs the air past the convection heater 95, and circulates the now heated air back into the cooking chamber 20.
The convection cover 80 typically has a round shape as shown in FIG. 2, or a rectangular shape as shown in FIG. 4. A plurality of intake holes 82 are formed on a center portion of the convection cover 80 to allow the air to pass there-through by the drawing force generated by the convection fan 98. Outlet openings 84 are formed at or near the periphery of the convection cover 80 and exhaust the air that has been heated by the convection heater 94.
FIGS. 3 and 5 illustrate the air circulated in the cooking chamber 20, as a result of the corresponding convection cover 80, the convection heater 94, and the convection fan 98. As shown, when the convection fan 98 is turned on, the air in the cooking chamber 20 is drawn through the intake holes 82 in the convection cover 80 in the direction of the convection heater 94. The air is then heated as it passes by the convection heater 94. The heated air is then exhausted through the outlet openings formed at or near the periphery of the convection cover 80 and circulated back into the cooking chamber 20.
However, the air circulated back into the cooking chamber 20 through the outlet openings 84 in the convection cover 80, as shown for example in FIG. 2, does not uniformly circulate throughout the cooking chamber 20, and in particular, the region of the cooking chamber 20 that is near the door 50. This is illustrated as a dead zone in FIG. 3. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 5, the air circulation in the cooking chamber 20 also does not uniformly circulate throughout the cooking chamber 20, resulting in two dead zones, as illustrated.
As described above, the air circulation in the cooking chamber of a conventional electric oven is not uniform throughout the cooking chamber. This results in dead zones. These dead zones, in turn, cause heat to be unevenly transferred to the food in the cooking chamber, which adversely affects the cooking process.